D.C. extends youth curfew after rowdy gatherings

• Police Chief Pamela Smith can also go further under the law, designating a temporary zone where the youth curfew would start at 8pm. The zone would last for four days and aim to prevent groups of eight young people or more from congregating.
• The law will take effect immediately and run through August.

What they're saying: "When we look at hundreds of young people that are gathered ... it does require a response," said Council member Charles Allen, who worked to curtail the mayor's original proposal that called for even stricter curfew rules.

• "A curfew is not and should not be the only tool," he added. He said community outreach efforts in recent weeks have helped deter a repeat of large gatherings in Navy Yard.

Council member Brooke Pinto, who helped advance the bill, said violating a curfew is not a crime. The bill requires Metropolitan Police Department officers to give juveniles two audible warnings during a curfew.

• "When MPD sees a young person ... they pick up the young person and try to take them home," Pinto said.

The other side: Some experts have questioned if such curfews are effective, and warn that they disproportionately affect youth of color and could lead to racial profiling.